Lost - Character Profile - John Locke
Lost
Character Profile
John Locke
Actor: Terry O’Quinn
On Flight 815: Locke is returning to the United States after being rejected from a Walkabout tour of the Australian Outback
Profession: Regional Collections Supervisor for a box company
Prior to the Crash:
John Locke was born very premature. After being in the hospital for several months, his teen-age mother, Emily, decided she did not want to keep him.
John and his sister were raised in several foster homes. At one point Richard visits with the intent of “interviewing” John for a “gifted school”. John fails the test and Richard storms out. Later in high school John is tormented by his classmates. The teacher suggests a summer internship at Mittelos Laboratories but John isn’t interested. He wants to do sports, not be a scientist.
As an adult a woman visits him at work and reveals that she is his mother. Wanting to know who his father is, Locke hires a private investigator. He meets his father, Anthony Cooper, who in turn befriends him. Cooper then proceeds to con Locke into offering his kidney for a kidney transplant. Unfortunately, after the operation, his father didn’t want anything to do with him. Locke was obsessed with wanting to know why his father didn’t want his friendship.
Locke attends an anger management group where he meets Helen. They begin a relationship, but she wants him to stop watching his father. Locke plans on proposing to her, but is sidetracked upon learning about the death of Cooper. Locke and Helen are the only people present at the funeral, but Locke notices two men watching from a car. While inspecting the home of Nadia, Locke is visited by Cooper, who has faked his death in order to escape from the two men. He asks Locke to retrieve a large sum of money for him. Locke reluctantly agrees. He gets Cooper the money but is discovered by Helen. She leaves him.
In a short interlude Locke joins a commune that secretly grows marijuana. He picks up a hitchhiker one day and invites him to the commune. Later Locke learns that the man is an undercover cop and is told to shoot him. Locke can’t do it and lets him go.
Back at home Locke finds out that his father is conning a family. He is about to call the family when his father pushes him out of an eight story window. Locke survives, but is paralyzed from the waist down.
He begins working for a box company, owned by Hurley. He decides to go on a Walkabout tour of the Australian Outback, but when he shows up in a wheelchair, the company denies him. Locke is sent home on Flight 815.
After the Crash:
After the crash, suddenly Locke can use his legs. He believes that the island has healed him and that he must listen to the island and do what it asks. Locke moves to the caves with Kate, Jack, and some of the other Losties. He discovers Charlie’s addiction and tries to help.
Locke and Boone find a hatch in the ground and return daily to try to open it. Locke thinks that it’s his destiny to open it. He has a vision that leads to Boone’s death after he has Boone climb up a cliff and into a small plane.
The losties gather dynamite to blow the hatch open and they find Desmond inside. They discover a video that teaches about the computer and that they must enter in the code. Desmond flees after the computer is damaged, but Locke insists that Jack enter the code into the computer first, after Sayid repairs it. Locke prides himself on remaining behind to enter in the code.
Locke is obsessed with the numbers. He lets the numbers count down and after reaching zero the numbers switch to hieroglyphics. Locke quickly enters in the code. Later he is caught again in the middle of a lockdown. His only help is Henry Gale, their captive. Locke has his legs trapped under one of the blast doors and asks Henry to enter in the code. As Henry departs the room’s light switches to ultra-violet, revealing a secret map on the back of the blast door. Upon the hatch returning to normal again, Henry tells Locke that he put in the numbers and that the timer went back to 108.
Locke eventually resents having to push the button. He starts to think that it is just an experiment and nothing will happen if they don’t push the button. He locks Eko out and breaks the computer. When the timer reaches zero, the hatch implodes. Locke survives.
When Kate returns to the island without Jack, she heads off into the jungle in search of Rousseau. Locke and Sayid follow her. Eventually the group comes to the Flame Station. Inside he plays a chess game on a computer and eventually beats it. The computer offers several options. One of the options is to enter 77. Locke exits and the hatch explodes.
They continue toward the Others in the hopes of finding Jack. That night, Locke barges into Ben’s home, holding Alex at gunpoint. He demands to be taken to the submarine and then blows it up.
Locke is then offered the opportunity to join the Others as they leave the barracks. He accepts. That night, Ben tells Locke that he must kill Cooper before he can officially join them. Locke can’t do it. The Others leave him behind but tell him to follow their trail if he can ever kill his father. Locke returns to the beach and brings Sawyer to the Black Rock. He locks Sawyer in the room with Cooper. Sawyer kills him and Locke carries Cooper’s body to the Others
Locke insists that Ben take him to see Jacob. Ben agrees and takes him to an empty, isolated cabin. After being warned, Locke uses his flashlight, causing Jacob to erupt in anger. The next day Ben takes Locke to a pit where he then shoots Locke and leaves him to die. Locke is contemplating suicide when he sees Walt. He makes his way to the radio tower, kills Naomi, and begs Jack not to contact the boat.
Shortly after the freighter people arrive on the island, the Losties divide into Camp Locke and Camp Jack. Locke takes to torturing his captives - including Ben and Miles. He leads his camp like a dictator.
Off the Island:
It is yet unknown if Locke makes it off the island.
Key Character Relations:
Hurley - Indirectly. Locke’s boss in the box company is the same as Hurley’s boss in the Mr.Clucks.
Jack - Jack acknowledges Locke on the flight before they take off.
Libby - Indirectly. Locke’s mother spent time in the same mental institute as Libby.
Sawyer - Indirectly. Locke’s father may be the true Sawyer.
Sayid - Indirectly. Locke inspects a house for Nadia, Sayid’s friend.
Image used with permission from Newscom
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